Tokyo Auto Salon Cars 2014 - Welcome To The Motherland

Fire in the Makuhari Messe

I'm going to assume if you're reading this magazine (or have access to the internet) you already damn well know exactly what Tokyo Auto Salon is-if not, shame on you and start planning! Tokyo Auto Salon is the of-all-be-all of car shows for our community, the mecca of JDM greatness and the birthplace of innovation. It's where everything happens! From flawless JDM classics, Shakotan style street racers and luxurious bippu builds to exclusive OE reveals, new product debuts and the kind of builds you could only dream of showing up at your local meets. Everything that is the tuning industry is there. Without further ado, here are our favorite cars from the madhouse that is Tokyo Auto Salon.

Liberty Walk came out in full force. Though the booth was overflowing with glamorous exotics that would make the average viewer completely weak in the knees what really caught my eye was Kato-san's personal Skyline project.

Another favorite at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon car show was the Rocky Auto Hakosuka. Though the majority of the car is actually covered in a carbon fiber wrap, it still features various bits and pieces constructed out of full-on carbon. With a beastly, limited edition Autech RB26 under the hood and a fresh set of Meister CR01s on the feet. what's not to love? We'll try and get our hands on this bad boy for a full feature sometime in the near future. Don't hold your breath, though. We take a while sometimes.

While LS-swaps may be generally old news in the U.S., they're certainly still a bit more of a rarity in Japan—Hench why this JDM slash 'Emurican build attracted so much attention. Not to mention, who could ever get tired of staring at a showroom-ready, fully functional 180SX? Advans and a TRA Kyoto's Rocket Bunny 6666 Customs kit!? Sex?—Yes, please.

By far, one of my absolute favorite cars had to be the Rocket Bunny CLK drift missile by Sarto Racing. Chop it up to exclusivity, but it's honestly one of the first Rocket Bunny cars I've come across that hasn't already been entirely whored out to the interwebz. More on this #periodbloodred beauty coming soon.

For some odd reason I repetitively caught myself circling around this RE-Amemiya FD. Maybe it was due to booth placement—maybe it was due to the fact that standing in front of a 3-rotor 20b RE FD truly made me realize I was actually in the land of JDM. Who cares!?

In case you missed the Tokyo Motor Show coverage a few months back, Honda has recently debuted a new mid-engine, RWD roadster concept with a goal of hitting production sometime as early as 2015. We won’t be seeing this little pocket rocket in the U.S. anytime soon though.

Last year, our infamous leader, Tetsu, dubbed the 2013 Tokyo Auto salon car show as "the year of the 86/BRZ/FR-S." Well... surprise!! This year was no different. Even if a manufacturer's main booth car wasn't an 86, you can be sure they had one stuffed off in the corner. The fact that Option brought the return of the "86 & BRZ World" this year didn't help the situation either. BUT (yes, but) there's a reason for this, and we all know it. Our industry is struggling. There hasn't been a hot car in years and with the birth of 86/FR-S/BRZ the aftermarket world finally has something to sink their teeth into-you can believe everyone wants a piece. To save us all some time, I've highlighted what I believe to be the most unique, innovative 86s of the show. If by chance you're left craving more or completely disagree with my taste, simply swing by superstreetonline.com for a complete overview.

Attention to detail is key in standing out at TAS and Weld could not have done a better job. Just stare at that gorgeous bay for a second and tell me it isn’t the cleanest FA20 setup you’ve ever seen. Flawless. Not to mention the entire exterior has been completely fabricated by hand and constructed out of metal, aside from the new Voltex swan neck wing and rear diffuser.

Standing out is great, but sometimes we just can’t deny simplicity. Along with Option Mag’s "86 & BRZ World" came this subtle grey rabbit on Volk ZE40s. I’d like to think that if our very own Ratchet Bunny had offspring while touring a foreign country, it’d look exactly like this.

The "oh shit!" award undoubtedly goes to this V8-swapped 86. It features a C5 motor with ITBs, todokori front bumper, Chargespeed rear diffuser, Work Emotion D9Rs and a set of STI brakes. Definitely rough around the edges but there’s no doubt this 86 is one BAMF.

Rays X BenSopra also came out with a prime example of what we like to call a "panty-dropper."

After Hours

While covering the Tokyo Auto Salon may easily take up the vast majority of our time in Japan, the Super Street crew always finds a way to enjoy the nightlife. From experiencing sensory exploding robot restaurants and foreign delicacies to turning up in the Japanese clubs while playing the gaijin card. It's hard to have any regrets when you live life to the fullest. Though, our actions definitely left us in search of a comfortable western-style toilet on more than a few occasions.